Second annual Salt Games celebrate salt life this weekend in Myrtle Beach

Native Sons Screen Print and Embroidery has been around since 1984. It’s a company that’s grown and evolved with the Grand Strand. Now, for the second year, Native Sons brings the Salt Games back, this time on the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion site and the surrounding beach-front on Saturday and Sunday.

It’s an all-ages event and free and open to the public, whether you choose to participate in the games or simply be a spectator. There shouldn’t be a shortage of either. This year, the schedule expands to a two-day format, incorporating more games, competitions, day-drinking, live entertainment and well-toned bodies in swimsuits.

The proceeds benefit the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “It’s a way for Native Sons to give back to a community that’s done so much for us,” says Amellia Diemer, event coordinator for Native Sons. “It’s a lot of fun and a chance to help out where we can.”

The games are packed with activities that promote the beach lifestyle. There’s beach tug of war and a bikini contest, but no tugging during the bikini contest or you’ll probably be asked to leave. There’s jumbo-sized beer pong for jumbo-sized drinkers. Or watch contestants go totally gluttonous in a hot dog eating contest.

There’s all kinds of shredding with both a pro/am surfing competition and half-pipe skating. There are paddleboard races and clinics. You can watch the pro volleyball players dink and spike on Saturday, or you can put together your own team for the amateur co-ed tournament on Sunday. You can stretch it out with beach yoga. Lifeguards will lay it all on the line for relay races and drills. And the place will turn into muscle beach when the Crossfit Up Dog Challenges and keg tosses occur.

There will also be silly activities such as the Sea Salt Margarita Contest, where you drench your hair with ocean water, then wring it out into a margarita glass until it’s full. There’s a Salt Shaker Contest, where you attach a tissue box with six ping-pong balls inside and shake your money-maker until the balls go bouncing. Or you can keep it tame at the Hula Hoop Dance Off.

There’s stuff for kids to do, including a kids run where kids (ages 5 to 12) race an obstacle course on the beach and finish up rocking at a dance party with free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

On Saturday, after the games are underway, the Salt Games Concert Series loads the stage with regional acts from the Southeast – Jordon Miller and the Executives, Weaving the Fate, Hey Rocko! and Octopus Jones and Brave Baby. On Sunday, the series brings it on home with some local favorites – The Revealed, Not Yet Rated and Bullfrog.

Attendees can get social for sweets. You can tweet or post pictures and videos of the events and win treats from the candy store, I Love Sugar. The whole thing will result in an awards ceremony on Sunday. There’s also an after-party at Malibu’s Surf Bar on Saturday, with drink specials, such as $4 Malibu's Shark Bites and $10 Malibu's souvenir party pails.

Some of the events require a registration fee and some of the events pay the winners big bucks.

Saturday

Pro/Am Surfing Tournament – 8 a.m. to sundown

Crossfit Up Dog Summer Challenge – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carolina Paddle Co. Paddleboard Race – 8 a.m. to noon

Shanti Yoga Beach Yoga – 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Coors Light Pro Volleyball Tournament – 9 a.m. to sundown

Ben and Jerry’s Kid Run, open to ages 5 to 12 – 11 a.m. to noon

Salt Shaker Contest – noon to 12:30 p.m.

Jumbo Beer Pong – noon to 1 p.m.

Malibu’s Surf Bar Bikini Contest – 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Sea Salt Margarita Contest – 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Salt Games Concert Series with Jordon Miller and the Executives, Weaving the Fate, Hey Rocko! and Octopus Jones and Brave Baby – 3 to 11 p.m.